Barbora Krejcikova wins San Diego Open, beating Sofia Kenin 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

By JOHN FREEMAN
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic beat Sofia Kenin of the United States 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on Saturday in the San Diego Open for her second victory of the year and seventh on the WTA Tour.

Played in cool, cloudy conditions, the match was punctuated by short rallies and inconsistent shot-making by both players until the final set.

Down 4-5 and serving at deuce, Kenin double-faulted, then hit a forehand wide to give fourth-seeded Krejcikova the victory.

In addition to the $120,150 winner’s check and glass trophy, the 5-foot-10 Krejcikova — the 2021 French Open champion — was presented with a shiny new 5-foot-9 surfboard, emblematic of the event’s close proximity to the beach.

“I don’t know how I’m going to bring all these trophies back home because I only have three bags,” said the veteran Krejcikova, 27, who describes her style of play as never giving up. “But I’m really happy I won.”

She also won in Dubai in February.

Kenin, 24, competed in her first final since the 2020 French Open, where she lost to Iga Swiatek. She won the Australian Open earlier that year for her only Grand Slam title.

“Of course, I’m disappointed,” said the unseeded Kenin, who’s ranked No. 93. “But last year I lost in the first round and this year I got to the finals against Barbora, who’s a great player.”

Held for the second straight year, the San Diego Open is a WTA 500 event with a total purse of $780,637 and 500 ranking points.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis